Earthquake Cracks the Washington Monument

The 5.9 earthquake in Washington Tuesday caused cracks in the Washington Monument and false rumors of the ‘Leaning Monument of Washington.”

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

First Publish: 8/24/2011, 7:35 AM

The 5.9 Richter scale earthquake in Washington Tuesday caused cracks in the Washington Monument and false rumors of the ‘Leaning Monument of Washington.”

In what many pundits are certain to see as a “sign of the times” because of America’s lower credit rating and weakened influence in the world, the popular tourist site was shut down to the public, but the grounds around it are open beyond a distance of 100 feet. Rumors that it was leaning caused panic in the capital but proved to be false.

The cracks were found near the top of the 555-foot high, 91,000-ton monument, where the tower narrows into a triangle. The structure once was the tallest building in the world and remains the world’s highest stone structure. It was built to commemorate George Washington, the first president of the United States.

Cracks also were discovered at the Washington National Cathedral, whose pinnacles are the highest points in the city.

The earthquake shook off the top of the pinnacles, dropping its chunk of stones to the ground. The tremors forced the evacuation of the Pentagon and were felt in Virginia and New York.